challenge CHATTER - 2012

Joyce, you have gotten a lot of good advice on this landscape painting. I'm assuming that the two trees on the right are still unfinished. Usually, as items get further away they become smaller and lighter. Also, tree trunks are usually wider at the bottom and gradually taper as they go upward. You have drawn the middle tree trunk that way and it looks good. As Marsha said, don't forget the cast shadows or the form shadows. Remember that form shadows along with highlights are what gives objects shape and form. The cast shadows occur because the object blocks the light from reaching the ground.

Hi all another in my series to colonize Mars , now that they found water the bears can wash off the red dust and start to make progress 1/4 sheet 140# arches cp limited palette using venetian red,burnt umber ,white and paynes grey

Fred... Again you never cease to amaze me... colonizing opens up a whole new series of discoveries and adventures with the Bear family. I see they must have brought seeds with them. I love the water system and the wind break in front of the cave entrance. question: is the background sky or some sort of dry lake or water lake... I love your rock and texture around the caves. I like it that they aren't complete clean... great job.

MARSHA

It would be nice if we messed up we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over

Sam: good advice as usual, but I do question the part about tree trunks tapering. I do Xmas cards with snow and Birches and lodge poll pines and here is a copy of one of my studies. they don't taper which is the best reason for using the lodge polls for homes. I used to travel to Oregon and loved these trees. Another very large straight tree is the Ponderosa pine, most tall pines are straight. Joyce appeared to have a pine and two birches, the Aspen have similar bark but aspen grow from other roots and seeds and Birch grow from seedlings. I used to have three birch in my front yard in California "Faith, Hope and Charity" it was always a custom to plant them in threes...

because the trees on the far shore of the painting appeared to be pines I might assume pines and Aspen may be in the fore ground.

MARSHA

It would be nice if we messed up we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over

Fred - I am envious of your great imagination! These bears are doing wonderfully - I like the stonework for the wells & the windbreak & the little stone pilings you've placed to hold the water pipe up...bringing the water closer to the shelter - I am anxious to see the progress they will make as you build! Wonderful!

Thanks everyone for your help with my trees, to be honest I hadn't thought about if it was a lake or river I was just going for a stream with trees and a few rocks.

1. Lesson river or lake

2. shading

I have re-did some of what everyone said and now my grass is a mess and the trees in the back ground has no form but my guestion is do the 3 trees in the front look better and can you tell my rocks are rocks? Stop laughing, remember I am learning from you. Thanks again for the help.

Joyce your painting has improved greatly. The tree trunks now have shape, the grass and shadows on the ground looks nice. The rocks that you are worried about have highlight and also darks to make them very rock like. I also like the little bit of reflection that you have put in the water. Well done.

How does Moses make tea?? Hebrews it.

Geri

Joyce: Great, you can see that there is some depth coming into the picture.

remember to add a grounded shadow to the trees on the right. as well as the ground cast shadow. add the shadow to the back of where the light is coming from on the trees as well as Sam had said.

your far away shore is looking good.

your grass is fine, just add some forward taller grasses,

if you darken the grass a little bit on the back side of the rocks, they will pop forward a little more your rocks have great shape and shading, remember to make the closer rocks have depth, add darks to the lower part of the farther rocks

don't be afraid to add dark undergrowth to the far away trees, that will bring the front of your picture forward even more.

you are doing a great job. post again soon.....

MARSHA

It would be nice if we messed up we could simply press 'Ctrl Alt Delete' and start all over

Joyce, tree trunks usually (not always) taper as they ascend. Your brown tree seems to be wider at the top. With my poor vision, I couldn't tell that you had put markings on the two lighter trees and thought that you just hadn't gotten to them yet. Since they appear to be light tree trunks, I agree with Geri that they would stand out better with some darker values behind them and with a shadow side. Your rocks definitely look like rocks. This is coming along nicely.

Sammy, I think you are right my pine tree is wider at the top, I guess I should feed the tree some and fatter her up at the bottom. Gerri thanks again for the help and I will put a little more darkness behind the rocks.

Marsha, I have added ground and cast shadow, should I add a little more. I also added taller greasses at the front not sure how to add dark under growth to the far away trees but will try. There is something said to the idea this is only a piece of paper. Thanks again Marsha.

Fred- I do love this painting a lot. You have so much detailed work here. The mountain has good color and textures. All the Bears are there and look very diligent. Looks like they are really ready to make their habitat in this new world. They have water system and new plant. Now they have to think of food.. Maybe they can get fish out of the nearby water.

Joyce- You've received so much suggestions, I will refrain from adding more. You have got it right in the new version and it is looking good. I like the shading on your rocks that shows you can use your brushes well.

Tall trees like pine trees do taper a little on their way to the top. Because they are so tall it's not so obvious to bare eyes. esp. if you cut the photos off at short distance, it won't show at all. I know because I lived in Denver, Colorado for almost forty years and I planted many pine trees around my yards.

Plein-Air on Mars, Thank you Sandi, here is another and maybe those are turtles that are edible we will wait and see, and the Martian soil seems to be very fertile by the looks of the tree that may just be an apple tree